Grand Affair: the captivating story of one young woman's struggle to overcome the obstacles of her past, and face the future...

Charlotte Bingham

mar 2011 · Random House

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Fans of Louise Douglas, Dinah Jeffries and Kristin Hannah will love this compelling and enthralling read from bestselling author Charlotte Bingham. The 1950s are brought vividly to life - as is the real battle between desire and duty that Ottilie faces. A real page-turner!

'The author perfectly evokes the atmosphere of a bygone era... ' -- Woman's Own
'This is great summer escapism from an award-winning romantic novelist' -- CHOICE
'I couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review
'Absolutely riveting' -- ***** Reader review
'A wonderful read' -- ***** Reader review

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SOME THINGS NEED SAVING...BUT AT WHAT COST?

Ottilie Cartaret is born in London into a family of boys dominated by their genial mother, Ma O'Flaherty. For the first four years of her life, all Ottilie knows is love until, that is, the erring father of the boys, sends enough money from America for the O'Flahertys to move to what Ma imagines will be rural bliss in Cornwall.

True, St Elcomb is by the sea and in 1950s Britain is certainly rural but, for the O'Flahertys, it is not bliss. Never mind their poverty - the enmity of the local people is what proves insuperable.

Ottilie is ultimately adopted by Mr and Mrs Cartaret, a wealthy couple who run the Grand Hotel in St Elcomb. Here she becomes pampered and spoilt, not just by her adopted parents but by all the visitors to the hotel. Times however are changing and not just for Ottilie but for the hotel too, and as the regulars to the now decaying hotel die off, the Cartarets find they are unable to adapt to modern ways.

There is no doubt that Ottilie is their greatest asset and they live to rejoice in the day they adopted but is Ottilie perhaps expected to sacrifice too much herself to save the Grand?

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Charlotte Bingham comes from a literary family - her father sold a story to H. G. Wells when he was only seventeen - and Charlotte wrote her autobiography, CORONET AMONG THE WEEDS, at the age of nineteen. Since then, she has written comedy and drama series, films and plays for both England and America with her husband, the actor and playwright Terence Brady. Her published novels include the highly acclaimed bestsellers SUMMERTIME, THE SEASON, THE BLUE NOTE, THE LOVE KNOT, THE KISSING GARDEN, LOVE SONG, TO HEAR A NIGHTINGALE, THE BUSINESS, IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW, STARDUST, NANNY, CHANGE OF HEART, DEBUTANTES, THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS, GRAND AFFAIR, THE CHESTNUT TREE, THE WIND OFF THE SEA, THE MOON AT MIDNIGHT, DAUGHTERS OF EDEN, THE HOUSE OF FLOWERS, THE MAGIC HOUR, FRIDAY'S GIRL, IN DISTANT FIELDS and THE WHITE MARRIAGE.